Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or the series.
A/N: And the plot thickens. Enjoy!
Forever Red
Chapter Three: Repeating The Past
"Professor Snape!" I shot up my hand as my least favourite teacher looked at me.
"Yes Mr. Weasley?" he asked, as the chalk continued to write on the board.
Harry nudged me as I gulped. "I'm having a hard time seeing the board..." I started. He raised a bushy eyebrow and opened his mouth to question. "Your nose is just too big to see around."
His eyes narrowed into a glare. "What was that Mr. Weasley?" he asked me.
I looked to Harry for any kind of guidance. He shrugged lightly. "I just commented that your nose was too large to see around..." I said, as if that was a normal thing to say.
"Have you just noticed Mr. Weasley?" he asked.
I was scared shitless. "No, actually. I just recently grew the courage to say something. Is there anything you can do?" I asked.
He slammed his fist against the desk. "10 points from Gryffindor and a detention from Mr. Weasley. Unless he wants to raise the deduction," he said.
"No sir," I said.
"May I continue Mr. Weasley?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," I responded.
He smiled victoriously and took the chalk back in his hands. "You didn't have to make him deduct points," Harry muttered quietly.
"I didn't think he would," I replied.
Harry looked at me. "Why wouldn't he?" he asked.
"Well, then what was the point anyway?" I answered his question with a question.
"She's YOUR hallucination, not mine," he said.
"Then don't criticize my strategies," I said. "You'll win the points back."
I wasn't sure why I was so tense with Harry, but I guessed Selena had something to do with it. There wasn't a time during the night that I didn't see her and I'm not sure if I even actually slept. I felt weaker in the morning and more tired than I usually was when I pulled an all nighter. I yawned lightly and put my head on my desk, waiting for the class to finally reach it's ending.
I stepped into Snape's classroom after my classes. "Now, Mr. Weasley. Since you were too busy talking to Mr. Potter, I suspect that you didn't write the note," he said.
I felt my cheeks burn lightly. "Sorry sir, I'm afraid I haven't gotten a lot of sleep." I said.
He raised an eyebrow. "Not that that's an excuse," he said. He handed me a piece of paper. "Here's the note, write your own copy, and then I'll find something else for you to do."
I nodded and started to write out of the note. He started to leave the room. I nervously spoke up. "Harry, Hermione and I were looking through old yearbooks," I said, as if I was just making conversation.
He sighed, unimpressed with my attempt of conversation. "Find anything interesting?" he asked.
From the corner of my eye, I watched him open a cupboard and take out some ingredients. "Well," I looked back down at my paper, writing furiously. "I didn't know there was a death the same year you and Professor McGonnigal were both in school," I said, knowing that they were at different years.
I heard a glass break. "This isn't a topic I would discuss with my closest friends, don't think I'll talk to you about it," he said.
I swivelled my body to look at him, frozen in his position. "Sorry," I said. "Would you like me to clean the mess?"
"No, Mr. Weasley. Continue writing," he said.
His dark figure started to clean up the broken glass. "May I ask how she died? The yearbook didn't say," I said.
I heard him curse loudly. I turned myself back around, and started writing again. I guessed that he cut himself on the glass. "I'm not sure," he said and sat back down, across from me. His fingers dripped a dark red liquid. "Her roommates said she was becoming more and more tired. Then one day, she was pure white and her eyes with wide open as if she knew she was going to die. Know one knew how she died, but there were lots of different stories," his dark eyes glared at me. "Most people thought she was murdered, but the story that was used was that she was over-stressed and didn't realize that she was ill."
"Does her ghost stay here?" I asked.
He laughed lightly. I think it was the first time I heard him laugh, ever. His eyes lowered and looked down at his desk. "She hated it here; I'm sure her spirit is someplace better," he said.
"Were you friends with her?"
I watched him awkwardly stand up from his desk. "I was," he said. He grabbed my note from in front of me. "If you were trying to get yourself out of detention you were successful Mr. Weasley. Don't worry about the note and get some sleep for tomorrow."
I nodded and fled from the room quickly. Harry and Hermione were waiting for me. "What did you find out?" Harry asked, when I had closed the door behind me.
"They were friends," I said.
Hermione hit me on the shoulder. "You did find out something else, right? Because we knew that one already," she seemed rather frustrated with me.
I crossed my arms as we walked down the deserted hallway. "They don't really know how she died. Each day she grew more and more tired, until one day they found her white as a sheet and dead. A lot of people thought she was murdered and I suspect Snape thinks that as well," I said.
Hermione and Harry stared at me, wide-eyed. "You've been becoming paler," Hermione touched my face lightly.
"And more tired," Harry watched me.
I felt the colour drain from my face. "I'll... I'll be fine guys," I said, trying to convince myself more than them.
Hermione touched my shoulder. "We'll figure this out Ron," she tightened her grip. "Don't worry."
I nodded as we walked into the common room. There was no sign of Selena. "You didn't tell him, did you?" Harry asked.
"No," I shook my head. "I just made it seem like casual conversation."
"Good," Harry said as we walked into the bedroom.
I lay down on the bed, realizing how tired I was. "Do you think it matters if I skip homework again?" I asked, watching Harry sit on the bed beside mine.
"No," he said. "You really should sleep. If any of the teachers hassle you, we'll go to Dumbledore and tell him what's up."
I nodded and felt my eyes start to close. "Thanks Harry," I muttered as I started drift into a sleep I feared.
"It's no problem Ron," he said.
I opened my eyes wide, pinching myself. "I'm sorry for being rude today," I said. "I'm not sure what came over me."
My body begged for sleep, but my mind kept telling me not too. "It's fine Ron. Don't worry. I think we're all a little tense. Get some sleep," he said.
"I'm... scared..." I felt myself shaking. I watched her sitting on the windowsill. Her red were eyes watching me, waiting. "I don't want to wake up dead."
Harry looked to where my eyes stared. "Don't worry," he said. "You'll wake up. I promise," he said as he walked to the windowsill.
She jumped down as he sat where she had once sat. I smiled at him and let sleep take over.
I opened my eyes, knowing it was a dream. Selena sat down on my bed, just watching me. "You tried to find out more about me," she said, blinking once.
I nodded. "Was I not supposed to?" I asked.
She seemed less vicious than the night before. "No..." she crawled closer to me. "That's fine... but why?"
A thin smiled stretched across her face. "I was curious," I watched her sit down beside me and brush her face against my arm. "Why me?" I asked.
She ran her thin fingers through my hair. "You're adorable," she said. "And my age," she kissed me on the cheek. "I could spend forever with you."
I tensed up. What did she mean? Before I could ask more questions she started to kiss my neck. I felt my eyes close, as if I was going to drift again to a sleep.
Once more, I woke up. Harry no longer sat on the windowsill, but no one was around. The sun shone through the window. How late was it? Harry appeared in the room. "We're taking you back to the infirmary again, okay?"
I nodded. "Why...?"
"You've slept most of the day away. Hermione and I are really worried."
I stood up and stretched. "Don't be," I said. "I'll walk myself."
A/N: And the plot thickens. Enjoy!
Forever Red
Chapter Three: Repeating The Past
"Professor Snape!" I shot up my hand as my least favourite teacher looked at me.
"Yes Mr. Weasley?" he asked, as the chalk continued to write on the board.
Harry nudged me as I gulped. "I'm having a hard time seeing the board..." I started. He raised a bushy eyebrow and opened his mouth to question. "Your nose is just too big to see around."
His eyes narrowed into a glare. "What was that Mr. Weasley?" he asked me.
I looked to Harry for any kind of guidance. He shrugged lightly. "I just commented that your nose was too large to see around..." I said, as if that was a normal thing to say.
"Have you just noticed Mr. Weasley?" he asked.
I was scared shitless. "No, actually. I just recently grew the courage to say something. Is there anything you can do?" I asked.
He slammed his fist against the desk. "10 points from Gryffindor and a detention from Mr. Weasley. Unless he wants to raise the deduction," he said.
"No sir," I said.
"May I continue Mr. Weasley?" he asked.
"Yes, sir," I responded.
He smiled victoriously and took the chalk back in his hands. "You didn't have to make him deduct points," Harry muttered quietly.
"I didn't think he would," I replied.
Harry looked at me. "Why wouldn't he?" he asked.
"Well, then what was the point anyway?" I answered his question with a question.
"She's YOUR hallucination, not mine," he said.
"Then don't criticize my strategies," I said. "You'll win the points back."
I wasn't sure why I was so tense with Harry, but I guessed Selena had something to do with it. There wasn't a time during the night that I didn't see her and I'm not sure if I even actually slept. I felt weaker in the morning and more tired than I usually was when I pulled an all nighter. I yawned lightly and put my head on my desk, waiting for the class to finally reach it's ending.
I stepped into Snape's classroom after my classes. "Now, Mr. Weasley. Since you were too busy talking to Mr. Potter, I suspect that you didn't write the note," he said.
I felt my cheeks burn lightly. "Sorry sir, I'm afraid I haven't gotten a lot of sleep." I said.
He raised an eyebrow. "Not that that's an excuse," he said. He handed me a piece of paper. "Here's the note, write your own copy, and then I'll find something else for you to do."
I nodded and started to write out of the note. He started to leave the room. I nervously spoke up. "Harry, Hermione and I were looking through old yearbooks," I said, as if I was just making conversation.
He sighed, unimpressed with my attempt of conversation. "Find anything interesting?" he asked.
From the corner of my eye, I watched him open a cupboard and take out some ingredients. "Well," I looked back down at my paper, writing furiously. "I didn't know there was a death the same year you and Professor McGonnigal were both in school," I said, knowing that they were at different years.
I heard a glass break. "This isn't a topic I would discuss with my closest friends, don't think I'll talk to you about it," he said.
I swivelled my body to look at him, frozen in his position. "Sorry," I said. "Would you like me to clean the mess?"
"No, Mr. Weasley. Continue writing," he said.
His dark figure started to clean up the broken glass. "May I ask how she died? The yearbook didn't say," I said.
I heard him curse loudly. I turned myself back around, and started writing again. I guessed that he cut himself on the glass. "I'm not sure," he said and sat back down, across from me. His fingers dripped a dark red liquid. "Her roommates said she was becoming more and more tired. Then one day, she was pure white and her eyes with wide open as if she knew she was going to die. Know one knew how she died, but there were lots of different stories," his dark eyes glared at me. "Most people thought she was murdered, but the story that was used was that she was over-stressed and didn't realize that she was ill."
"Does her ghost stay here?" I asked.
He laughed lightly. I think it was the first time I heard him laugh, ever. His eyes lowered and looked down at his desk. "She hated it here; I'm sure her spirit is someplace better," he said.
"Were you friends with her?"
I watched him awkwardly stand up from his desk. "I was," he said. He grabbed my note from in front of me. "If you were trying to get yourself out of detention you were successful Mr. Weasley. Don't worry about the note and get some sleep for tomorrow."
I nodded and fled from the room quickly. Harry and Hermione were waiting for me. "What did you find out?" Harry asked, when I had closed the door behind me.
"They were friends," I said.
Hermione hit me on the shoulder. "You did find out something else, right? Because we knew that one already," she seemed rather frustrated with me.
I crossed my arms as we walked down the deserted hallway. "They don't really know how she died. Each day she grew more and more tired, until one day they found her white as a sheet and dead. A lot of people thought she was murdered and I suspect Snape thinks that as well," I said.
Hermione and Harry stared at me, wide-eyed. "You've been becoming paler," Hermione touched my face lightly.
"And more tired," Harry watched me.
I felt the colour drain from my face. "I'll... I'll be fine guys," I said, trying to convince myself more than them.
Hermione touched my shoulder. "We'll figure this out Ron," she tightened her grip. "Don't worry."
I nodded as we walked into the common room. There was no sign of Selena. "You didn't tell him, did you?" Harry asked.
"No," I shook my head. "I just made it seem like casual conversation."
"Good," Harry said as we walked into the bedroom.
I lay down on the bed, realizing how tired I was. "Do you think it matters if I skip homework again?" I asked, watching Harry sit on the bed beside mine.
"No," he said. "You really should sleep. If any of the teachers hassle you, we'll go to Dumbledore and tell him what's up."
I nodded and felt my eyes start to close. "Thanks Harry," I muttered as I started drift into a sleep I feared.
"It's no problem Ron," he said.
I opened my eyes wide, pinching myself. "I'm sorry for being rude today," I said. "I'm not sure what came over me."
My body begged for sleep, but my mind kept telling me not too. "It's fine Ron. Don't worry. I think we're all a little tense. Get some sleep," he said.
"I'm... scared..." I felt myself shaking. I watched her sitting on the windowsill. Her red were eyes watching me, waiting. "I don't want to wake up dead."
Harry looked to where my eyes stared. "Don't worry," he said. "You'll wake up. I promise," he said as he walked to the windowsill.
She jumped down as he sat where she had once sat. I smiled at him and let sleep take over.
I opened my eyes, knowing it was a dream. Selena sat down on my bed, just watching me. "You tried to find out more about me," she said, blinking once.
I nodded. "Was I not supposed to?" I asked.
She seemed less vicious than the night before. "No..." she crawled closer to me. "That's fine... but why?"
A thin smiled stretched across her face. "I was curious," I watched her sit down beside me and brush her face against my arm. "Why me?" I asked.
She ran her thin fingers through my hair. "You're adorable," she said. "And my age," she kissed me on the cheek. "I could spend forever with you."
I tensed up. What did she mean? Before I could ask more questions she started to kiss my neck. I felt my eyes close, as if I was going to drift again to a sleep.
Once more, I woke up. Harry no longer sat on the windowsill, but no one was around. The sun shone through the window. How late was it? Harry appeared in the room. "We're taking you back to the infirmary again, okay?"
I nodded. "Why...?"
"You've slept most of the day away. Hermione and I are really worried."
I stood up and stretched. "Don't be," I said. "I'll walk myself."